Leaked Windows 9 Threshold build shows the Start menu is back

If you're hoping Microsoft will bring back the Start menu to Windows sometime soon, then feast your eyes on the latest Windows 9 Threshold leak.

The Start menu pictured above provides a look at how Metro-style apps will look in the Start menu, though we have seen similar images pop up in the last few months. Many reports have claimed, for instance, that Microsoft's next major OS release will release with the much-missed Start menu.

Windows 9 will reportedly abandon the colourful tile layout of Windows 8 in favour of the traditional Start menu. Microsoft is even rumoured to be working on a feature called the Mini Start menu, and a leak from two weeks ago showed the the Mini Start menu. It looked like an old Windows Start menu, but with some Metro-style apps that debuted with Windows 8.

The leak above reveals a very similar Start menu interface. Just ignore the Win 8.1 Pro writing in the bottom corner. Neowin reported, citing an unnamed Microsoft source, the leak is from an elusive build inside of Microsoft that still uses the Windows 8 branding. Keep in mind Microsoft wants to ditch the Windows 8 brand, mostly because the software was not well-received by critics.

That said, eagle-eye observers will note that Threshold - the current codename for Windows 9 - is a planet name from Microsoft's Halo video game series.

And finally, Windows 9 is expected to be customised for different types of devices. Mobile devices will have an app tile layout by default, while desktop and laptop users will have the traditional Windows layout by default (with the Mini Start menu). As for hybrid devices running Windows 9, such as the Surface Pro, they will boot to a desktop layout if a keyboard is attached.